Waste water traps

All water using appliances and fittings within a house must have a water trap in the waste pipe to provide
a water seal to the drains or atmosphere, this prevents smells, bacteria and insects entering the property.

The 'P' trap - normally with a screw joint half way along so that:

 The trap can be easily removed without disturbing the pipework when it is necessary to remove a
blockage.

A disadvantage of the 'P' trap is that it requires a fair amount of room around the waste outlet.

The 'S' trap - normally with a screw joint half way along so that:

 The trap can be easily removed without disturbing the pipework when it is necessary to remove a
blockage.

Like the 'P' trap, the 'S' also requires a fair amount of room around the waste outlet.

The 'Bottle' trap, access to clean the trap is by unscrewing the bottom.

The waste pipe is always fitted horizontally.

The 'Bottle' trap takes up less space under a waste outlet and is ideal for pedestal mounted basins where
space is usually very limited.
 Various 'special' traps are available for some applications, such as:

 Twin bowl sinks (as illustrated right);

 Washing machines;
 Dish washing machines.

Each has at least one additional inlet to reduce the plumbing pipework and connections.

The 'Shallow' trap normally fitted to baths and showers where there is
limited space.

Where fitted to a bath, a banjo connector is normally fitted above it for the bath overflow.

Note that these traps may contravene water regulations in some areas as the water seal is less than
required. To overcome this, another (deeper) trap may need to be inserted further along the pipe run
where space allows.

The Washing Machine 'S' trap incorporates a vertical standpipe into which the washing machine
waste pipe is inserted.
The installation instructions for individual Washing Machine will specify the required height (normally an
minimum and maximum) for the standpipe.

The Washing Machine 'P' trap is similar to the 'S' trap but the outlet suits a horizontal waste pipe.

Stages of wastewater disposal

The area of municipal wastewater disposal may in particular comprise the following disposal
stages:

- wastewater collection
- wastewater removal
- wastewater treatment
- wastewater discharge
- disposal of faecal matter (from latrines and similar installations)
- sludge treatment.

The disposal stages mentioned may refer both to sewage (domestic, trade, industrial) and
to rainwater. In this respect one should not forget percolating water, which includes
e.g. groundwater which penetrates sewers through leaks, or drainage water which results from
groundwater lowering and is removed via the drainage network.

In the individual disposal stages the following wastewater processes take place:

- wastewater collection: collection of wastewater at source using connection, down and soil
pipes as well as by wastewater collection pits, cesspits, latrines etc.
- wastewater removal: conveying of wastewater through sewers (in the case of rainwater also
through open channels) using separate, combined or sewage-only systems (the latter without
central removal of rainwater).
- wastewater treatment: application of physical, biological (aerobic or anaerobic) and chemical
processes with the aim of minimising the substances contained in the wastewater which are
harmful to the environment, and in particular to water, or of reducing their harmful effect to the
necessary degree.
- wastewater discharge: return of the wastewater (usually after treatment) to the natural water
cycle (e.g. using clarification basin overflows for counter-overflow basins in the combined
system, rainwater overflows in separate systems or effluent channels in sewage treatment works).
- sludge treatment: processing sludge for recycling or disposal .

• Standpipe Drains